Carding machine operating control means



Feb. 21, 1967 J. E. ONEAL ETAL 3,304,582

CARDING MACHINE OPERATING CONTROL MEANS Original Filed Oct. 2, 1964 3Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS Q JAMES era/as Tr oweu,

N 10:5; mun 0114mm a y (0L IE W44 ra/v awmm Feb. 21, 1967 J ONEAL ETAL3,304,582

CARDING MACHINE OPERATING CONTROL MEANS Original Filed Oct. 2, 3.964 3Sheets-Sheet 2 A I! 1 f 33 P EL; 3. v r F INVENTORS 1 JAMES srzmrr awsu.36 Jester x404 cam/ran a CDL/E WALTON GUIYTER Feb. 21, 1967 QNEAL T3,304,582

CARDING MACHINE OPERATING CONTROL MEANS Original Filed Oct. 2, 1964 3Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS .mMss ave/Parr awe-41.,

.7055! 614M. sun/r54 a BY can 14 41. TON 606 761? United States PatentOffice 3 Claims. (Cl. 19-min This is a division of copending applicationSerial No. 401,274, filed October 2, 1964.

This invention relates to carding machines and in particular to improvedarrangements of certain operating elements of such machines that greatlyfacilitate high operating speeds and substantially improve the resultsobtained by the carding operation.

Generally described, the present invention is characterized first by animproved crush roll arrangement for acting on the carded welb prior togathering it into sliver so that any trash remaining therein is crushedto a condition in which it tends to be freed from the fiber duringsubsequent processing. The crush roll arrangement provided by thepresent invention is uniquely weighted by magnetic means to apply anexceptionally even crushing action across the entire carded web fordealing effectively with trash therein while handling the web to goodadvantage.

This crush roll arrangement is additionally notable in that one of itselements is disposed to serve also as a rotating take-01f means forremoving the carded web from the dot-fer roll of the carding machine.

In this latter connection, the present invention is furthercharacterized by the use of a dolfer roll of considerably smallerdiametric size than has heretofore been conventional, and which acts byreason of its smaller size to doff the carded web from the cardingcylinder with much less tendency toward nep formation and to provide amuch increased extent of travel for the carded web as it is gatheredinto sliver so that the gathering angle of the web selvages is much moregradual than is commonly the case with consequent better formation ofthe sliver both from the standpoint of uniformity and toleration of highoperating speeds. All of the foregoing features are disclosed andclaimed in the previously noted copending application.

Additionally, the present invention provides uniquely for controllingthe troublesome air currents produced by the carding cylinder inrelation to the slower rotating doffer roll and the faster rotatinglickerin roll operating thereat and for dealing with the fly generatedby these air currents as disclosed and claimed in ourcontinuation-inpart application Serial No. 489,590, filed September 23,1965; as well as providing a particularly advantageous means as claimedherein for controlling the operation of the doffer roll in the mannerdescribed at further length below in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of a carding machine incorporatingthe improved arrangement of operating elements provided by the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation detail of the doifer roll arrangement;

FIG. 3 is a further side elevation detail of the related crush rollarrangement;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section of the magnet roll structure employedfor weighting the crush roll arrangement;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation detail, partly in section, of the magnetunits employed in the FIG. 4 roll structure; and

m 3 2,394,582 Patented Feb. 21, 1367 FIG. 6 is a section detail of themeans provided for controlling operation of the doffer roll.

Referring now in detail to the drawings and more particularly at firstto FIG. 1, the reference character R indicates a lap roll of the fiberto be carded resting on a carrier roll 19 to have the lap L deliveredtherefrom over a feed plate 11 and beneath a feed roll 12 to a lickerinroll 13 for transfer to a carding cylinder 14 in suitable form forcarding beneath an endless series of flats, as indicated generally at15, and subsequent removal by a dotfer roll 16, in the general mannerthat has been conventional carding practice for many years.

Handling of the fiber for carding in this manner requires rotation ofthe lickerin roll 13 at a relatively high speed in order to comb theleading edge or fringe of the lap L being fed and transfer fibertherefrom to form a considerably thinner layer on the cylinder 14 forcarding beneath the flats 15; while the doifer roll 1-6 is required torotate so that its surface speed is substantially slower than that ofthe cylinder 14 in order to condense the carded web at doffing toprepare it with sufficient substance for subsequent taking-01f andgathering into sliver.

By reason of these speed relations there are troublesome air currentscreated in the zone at which the faster rotating lickeri-n roll 13diverges from the cylinder 14 and in the zone of convergence of theslower rotating dolfer roll 16; the lickerin roll 13 acting in thisrespect somewhat in the nature of a pump, while the doifer roll 16 has adamming effect, to product high pressure conditions at both zones as aresult of the air currents created or induced thereat.

To control these air currents it has heretofore been usual first to fitthe cylinder 14- with arcuate cover plates (corresponding generally tothose indicated at 17 and 18 in FIG. 1) so as to shroud the cylinderbeyond the lickerin roll 13 to the flats 15 and from the flats 15 inadvance of the do'rfer roll 16; and, secondly, to dispose furtherarcuate cover plates (corresponding generally to those indicated at 19and 2:0 in FIG. 1) over the lickerin and doffer rolls respectively, witha make-up piece or bonnet resting (generally as at 21 and 22 in FIG. 1)between the adjacently related cover plates 17 and 19, and 18 and 2-1 toenclose and contain the respective high pressure zones thereat. Underthe best of circumstances, however, such an arrangement has allowed acertain amount of blow out from these zones with a resultingobjectionable distribution of fly on and about the carding machine, andthis condition worsens substantially at the higher operating speedstowards which carding practice has been tending in recent years.

According to the present invention, the difiiculty with these highpressure zones above the lickerin and doifer rolls, respectively, iseliminated by terminating the adjacently related cover plates 17 and 19,and 18 and 20, short of converging abutment so that substantial slotsare left between their adjacent edges, as at 23 and 24 in FIG. 1; byproviding outlet openings, as at 25 and 26 in FIG. 1, in the bonnets 2iand 22 to relieve the high pressure zones enclosed thereby; and byfitting the outlet openings 25 and 26 with conduit connections, as at 27and 28 in FIG. 1, to receive and carry off for orderly collection allfly borne by the air exhausted through openings 25 and 26 from the highpressure zones being controlled.

To convey the entrained fly that is thus received by the conduitconnections 27 and 28 a relatively low capacity blower unit may beemployed as represented at 29 in FIG. 1 in relation to the connection28. A blower unit 29 having a capacity of cubic feet per minute at 3400rpm. has been found to serve the foregoing conveying function quite wellwhen operated by a suitable drive connection from the cylinder 14, asindicated at 30 in FIG. 1, at a ratio providing about 100 cubic feet perminute through the blower 29 when the cylinder speed is in the order of250 r.p.m. The exhaust from the blower 29 may be handled in anyconvenient way for collecting the fly entrained therein. A suitablearrangement is to direct the blower exhaust through a further conduitconnection (not shown) to a waste bin located Within the base portion ofthe carding machine frame. Similar provision (not shown) is made forconveying and collecting the entrained fly received by the conduitconnection 27 from the high pressure zone above the lickerin roll 13.

It should also be noted that the arcuate cover plate 19 at the lickerinroll 13 preferably has a hinged cover member 31 extending therefrom overthe feed roll 12 in place of the usual scavenger roll employed thereat;and that the arcuate cover plate 20 shrouding the doffer roll 16 extendsthereover away from the point of doffing toward the point of take-offwith a disposition forming a converging throat in relation to the dofferroll surface toward the take-off point (compare FIGS. 1 and 2) so thatany tendency toward blow out beneath this cover plate 20 is directed toassist take-off.

Additionally, the previously mentioned smaller size of doffer roll 16that is provided according to the present invention should be consideredin particular at this point. Carding machines conventionally employ acylinder 14 of 50-inch diameter operating in relation to a 9-inchlickerin roll 13 and a doffer roll 16 having a diameter in the order of24 to 27 inches. The present invention, however, reduces the doffer roll16 to a diametric size of 12 inches, or about one-fourth that of thecylinder 14, and this reduced doffer roll size provides at least twoadvantages of exceptional significance over conventional practice.

In the first place, the condensing action of the slower rotating dofferroll 16, that takes place in doffing the carded web from the cylinder14, is performed with a greatly reduced tendency toward the nepformation that commonly occurs at this stage. Such nep formation isinduced by the necessity for causing the dofier roll 16 to condense thecarded web at doffing to prepare it with sufiicient substance forsubsequent handling as previously mentioned. -In effecting thiscondensation of the carded web, the slower rotating doffer roll 16applies what may be thought of as a damming action to the fiber of thecarded web that is presented thereto on the cylinder 14, and the actionby which the dofiing condensation thus takes place necessarily resultsin a significant reorganization of the carded web fiber during which thefiber is prone to tangle and produce the undesirable neps that arecounted as an inverse measure of carding quality. The smaller sizedoffer roll 16 appears to reduce nep formation significantly duringdofiing condensation by reducing substantially the extent of the arcuatedoffing roll area that is active at any one time to effect doffing. Thatis to say, because the doffer roll 16 has a diametric size that issmaller than conventional by at least onehalf, its rotating surfaceapproaches the cylinder 14 later and moves away sooner than isconventionally the case. Accordingly, the dofiing condensation isaccomplished more rapidly so that the carded web fibers are apparentlygiven less time and less opportunity to tangle and the result, in anyevent, is surprisingly lessened nep formation even at higher than usualcarding speeds.

Secondly, the smaller size doffer roll 16 employed according to thepresent invention increases considerably the space available at thefront of the carding machine for gathering the web W into sliver Sfollowing take-off. The significance of this increased space is the moregradual gathering angle that is allowed and the consequently lessenedgathering strain at the selvages of web W which not only improves sliveruniformity but also allows the gathering to take place satisfactorily athigher operating speeds.

The smaller size doffer roll 16 is furthermore arranged according to thepresent invention to have take-off effected therefrom by a relativelysmall-diameter, rotating roll 32 that is operated uniquely incombination with an adjacent roll 33 as will be described in detailpresently. For doffing and take-off action in accordance with thepresent invention, the dotfer roll 16 is fitted with metallic wireclothing (rather than fillet clothing) and the teeth of the wireclothing, as indicated at 34 in FIG. 2, are formed with a leading faceangle that is inclined outwardly away from the direction of doffer rollrotation and is selected so as not to pass tangent alignment with therotating take-off roll 32, as indicated at X in FIG. 2, until take-offfrom each passing tooth has been substantially completed. In otherwords, the path of fiber take-off, which is generally represented at Tin FIG. 2, should be located below the tangent alignment axis X so thatthe doffer clothing teeth 34 shed the fiber readily at takeoff, and atake-off path of this sort is maintained by imposing a slight draft(i.e., about 1.10) at taking-off through an appropriate speed relationof a nip which is formed with the rotating take-off roll 32 by thepreviously mentioned adjacent roll 33.

The relative arrangement of these rolls 32 and 33 as indicated in FIGS.1 .and 2, and further illustrated in FIG. 3, is characterized by adisposition allowing the carded web to be trained at doffed widththrough the nip formed thereby immediately following take-off and beforebeing delivered, as at W in FIG. 1, for gathering into sliver S. Suchdisposition of the rolls 32 and 33 is provided for by means of mountingbrackets 35 arranged to support them at each end in relation to themounting structure 36 provided for carrying the doffer roll 16 at eachend from a footing, as at 36', at the sides of the carding machine frameF (see FIG. 2); suitable relative setting of the mounting brackets 35with respect to the doffer mounting structures 36 being afforded by leadscrew means 37 just as comparable setting of the latter is commonlyprovided for as indicated at 38.

Additional provision for setting the rotating take-off roll 32independently in relation to the doffer roll 16 is made through hangerplates 39 that are pivoted on the mounting brackets 35 at eccentricmountings 40 made adjustable for this purpose; the take-off roll 32being carried by these hanger plates 39 at clearance slots 41 in themounting brackets 35 so as to ride the adjacent roll 33 at the settingdetermined by the eccentric mountings 40. The adjacent roll 33 iscarried by the mounting brackets 35 for rotation about a fixed axis, asto 33 in FIG. 3, and is provided with a doctor blade at 42, whilecomparable doctoring means 43 is arranged on the hanger plates 39 forthe rotating take-off roll 32.

Nip contact of the opposing rolls 32 and 33 is maintained according tothe present invention by incorporating magnetic means in one of theserolls. If it is synthetic fiber that is to be carded, so that no trashcrushing function is needed at the roll nip, the magnetic means may beincorporated in the smaller take-off roll 32. But as this roll 32 mustbe no larger than about l-inch in diameter, or about one-twelfth thesize of dofi'er roll 16, the extent to which it may be arranged formagnetic weighting of the nip with roll 33 is rather limited, and thelarger roll 33 must be employed for this purpose in order to provide therelative heavy loading that is needed for the trash crushing that isdesirable when natural fiber, such as cotton, is being carded.Accordingly, FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate the manner in which the largerroll 33 is equipped with magnetic means for nip loading.

For this purpose, the body member 44 of roll 33 is made tubular in formso as to provide a housing for the magnetic means between stub shafts 45and 46 fitted at each of the body member ends as seen in FIG. 4. FIG. 5

illustrates a suitable arrangement of a unit assembly for use in formingthe magnetic means housed within the tubular body member 44 of roll 33;the unit assembly shown comprising a permanent alnico magnet 47 ofcylindrical form nested coaxially between circular pole pieces 48 and 49of larger diameter and initially provided with a keeper sleeve, asindicated at 50 in FIG. 5, for use in preparing and handling theassemblies prior to installation in the roll 33. Any other type ofpermanent magnet might alternatively be used, and the magnetic meansmight be electro-magnetic in character if desired, but alnico magnetshave been found to be entirely suitable and are therefore notedspecifically in exemplifying the invention.-

Having provided a supply of unit assemblies such as are shown in FIG. 5,the FIG. 4 roll assembly is prepared by removing one of the stub shaftfittings, such as 45, to open the tubular body member 44 fully at oneend, and then successively inserting unit magnetic assemblies throughthe open end of body member 44 while stripping the keeper sleeves 50therefrom in the course of sliding them into place. As indicated in FIG.4, the pole pieces 48 and 49 are sized in diameter to fit the innerdiameter of the tubular body member 44, and the coaxially nested magnetmembers 47 being of smaller diameter are carried between the pole pieces48 and 49 concentrically within the body member 44.

It should be noted additionally that the successive insertion of theunit magnet assemblies is effected with alternate endwise reversal sothat the installed magnet unit series that eventually extends throughoutsubstantially the entire axial length of the tubular body member 44 ischaracterized by an arrangement of pole pieces 48 (or 49) of likepolarity in adjacent pairs throughout the series. As a result, themagnet member 47 of each unit in the series generates a flux circuitthrough its pole pieces 43 and 49 that exerts a localized attractivepull on the takeoff roll 32 riding the magnet roll 33 to weight the nipbetween these rolls with exceptional effectiveness and uniformitythroughout the length of the nip. This nip and the rolls 32 and 33 thatform it must have substantial elongation in order to receive and act onthe carded web at doffed width, and there has heretofore beentroublesome difficulty encountered in maintaining roll members properlyweighted for crushing action on carded fiber because of the tendencytoward lengthwise flexure of the rolls when the considerable weightingneeded for crushing was applied by usual means. The magnetic weightingprovided by the present invention entirely eliminates all tendencytowards roll flexure, and because this is so the magnetic weightingadditionally makes possible the use of the relatively small diameterroll 32 for take-off purposes as well as for crushing in combinationwith the magnet roll 33.

To obtain these advantages, the magnets 47 should be proportioned forinstallation in the roll 33 so that the adjacent pairs of pole pieces 48and 49 are regularly spaced at relatively short intervals throughout themagnet series in relation to the length of roll 33. For example, in amagnet roll 33 for a 40-inch carding machine it has been found advisableto employ seven magnets 47 in forming the magnet series within the rollto weight a nip of sufficient length to handle the doffed width of thecarded web. With a magnet series of this order it has been foundpossible to provide more than enough nip weighting for crushing action,and an adjustable shunt bar structure 51 (see FIG. 3) is thereforepreferably arranged on the mounting brackets 35 adjacent the roll 33 formodulating the magnetic weighting suitably to avoid fiber damage duringthe crushing action.

The magnetic weighting of the take-off and crush roll pair 32-33 alsohas the auxiliary effect of eliminating any need for driving the smalltake-off roll 32 because the magnet roll 33 causes this roll to rotatetherewith, and it is therefore only necessary to drive the magnet roll33 which may be done suitably by a connection running from the dofferroll 16 as indicated at 52 in FIG. 1. The doffer roll 16 is alsoconnected as at 53 to drive the usual calendar roll stand 54 forreceiving the sliver S as it is gathered thereat through a trumpet 56for delivery to a coiler mechanism 56 by which it is deposited in asliver can 57 for subsequent processing.

The foregoing arrangement for driving the front end take-off and slivergathering through the connections 52 and 53 from the doffer roll 16 isutilized according to the present invention to provide for speed controlof the front end operation so that carding production is maintained atoperating speed through mean which allows selective slowing of theoperation readily to a low speed whenever this is necessary orconvenient, as when the end needs to be put-up. The speed control meansprovided for this purpose is indicated diagrammatically in FIG. 1 at 58,and the details of its structural form are shown in FIG. 6. Consideringfirst the arrangement indicated diagrammatically in FIG, 1, the speedcontrol means 58 is seen to be connected for driving the dotfer roll 16,as represented at 59, while having a driving connection 60 runningthereto from the lickerin roll 13 which is conventionally driven fromthe cylinder 14 as indicated at 61.

Turning next to the FIG. 6 detail, the speed control means 58 isillustrated as comprising a stationary stud shaft 62 that is shoulderedat 63 to form a shank portion 64 at which it is fixed on the cardingmachine frame in any suit-able manner. (not shown). Adjacent theshoulder 63, a bushing 65 is disposed for rotation on the stud shaft 62.This bushing 65 in turn carries a driving element 66, a first pulleymember 67, and a first gear mem ber 68. Both the driving element 66 andthe first pulley member 67 are fixed by key means 69 for rotation withthe bushing 65 and form the train through which the doffer roll 16 isdriven at operating speed; the driving element 66 being incorporated inthe drive connection 59 running from the speed control means 58 to thedotfer roll 16, suitably as a sprocket chain drive, and the first pulleymember 67 having a flanged periphery serving as a flat pulley surface toreceive the drive connection 60 from the lickerin roll 13 in belt form,so that a direct drive coupling is effected through pulley member 67 anddriving element 66 when the drive connection 60 is riding this firstpulley member 67.

The first gear member 68 that is additionally carried on the bushing 65has an overrunning clutch means 70 fitted centrally therein and arrangedso that the gear member 68 idles on the bushing 65 when the first pulleymember 67 is being driven, but acts to rotate the bushing 6-5 wheneverit is alternatively driven in the same direction. This overrunningarrangement of gear member 68 allows it to be employed as an element ofa change speed drive train that includes a second pulley member 71, atleast one set of second and third gear members 72 and 73 coaxiallymounted on the second pulley member 71 in planetary fashion, and afourth gear member 74 mounted on the stud shaft 62. The fourth gearmember 74 is fixed by keying as at 75 to remain stationary with the studshaft 62 while engaging the third gear member 73 of the planetary set torequire its rotation whenever the drive connection 60 is shifted to ridethe second pulley member 71, while the second gear member 72 is secured(as indicated at 76 in FIG. 6) for rotation with the third gear member73 and in turn engages the first gear member 68 to complete a drivecoupling through the overrunning clutch means 70 for driving the dolferroll 16 alternatively at a suitable low speed whenever desired.

The speed control means 58 finally comprises a third pulley member 77forming an idler on the stud shaft 62 and allowing the doffer roll 16 tobe stopped by shifting the drive connection 60 to ride thereon.Provision for selectively shifting the drive connection 60 between thethree pulley members 67, 71 and 77 may be made in a variety of ways. Anarrangement that is preferred according to the present invention asdiagrammed in FIG. 1 as comprising a control lever 78 located at thefront of the carding machine for convenient manipulation from theposition adjacent the calender roll stand 54 at which an operator standsin putting-up an end, with suitable articulation extending therefrom, asindicated at 79 to operate a belt shifting means 80 for three-positionselection in relation to the pulley members 67, 71 and 77 which areperipherally flanged to present outer fiat pulley surfaces of commondiameter, and the disposition of said pulleys is adjacently arranged sothat the flat pulley surfaces are substantially contiguous. In acomparable manner a second control lever (not shown) may be arrangedadjacently to operate engagement and disengagement of the drive gearingconventionally provided at the doffer roll 16 for driving the feed roll12 and allowing the feed to be stopped whenever desired. In this way acontrol center of substantial convenience and advantage is provided atthe front of the carding machine for effective tending of the cardingoperation at the high speeds facilitated by the present invention.

This invention has been described in detail above for purposes ofillustration only and is not intended to be limited by this descriptionor otherwise except as defined by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a carding machine having a doffer roll, means for controlling theoperation of said dofier roll comprising a stationary stud shaft mountedon said machine, a bushing disposed for rotation on said stud shaft, adriving element fixed on said bushing for rotation therewith to drivesaid dofier roll, a first pulley likewise fixed on .said bushing forcausing rotation thereof, a first gear carried by an overrunning clutchmeans on said bushing for causing rotation thereof in only onedirection, a second pulley mounted on said stud shaft for rotation, atleast one set of second and third gears coaxially mounted in planetaryfashion on said second pulley with said second gear engaging said firstgear and said second and third gears being secured for rotationtogether, a fourth gear fixed on said stud shaft and engaging said thirdgear, and a third pulley mounted on said stud shaft in idling relationto said driving element.

2. In a carding machine, the structure defined in claim 1 and furthercharacterized in that said first, second and third pulleys areperipherally flanged to present outer fiat pulley surfaces of commondiameter, and the disposition of said pulleys is adjacently arranged sothat said flat pulley surfaces are substantially contiguous.

3. In a carding machine, the structure defined in claim 2 and furthercharacterized in that shiftable means is provided at said control meansfor guiding a drive belt to ride at the flat pulley surface of aselected one of said pulleys, and manipulating means is arrangedadjacent the front of said carding machine for positioning said shiftable means selectively in relation to any one of said pulleys.

No references cited.

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

D. NEWTON, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN A CARDING MACHINE HAVING A DOFFER ROLL, MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THEOPERATION OF SAID DOFFER ROLL COMPRISING A STATINARY STUD SHAFT MOUNTEDON SAID MACHINE, A BUSHING DISPOSED FOR ROTATION ON SAID STUDE SHAFT, ADRIVING ELEMENT FIXED ON SAID BUSHING FOR ROTATION THEREWITH TO DRIVESAID DOFFER ROLL, A FIRST PULLEY LIKEWISE FIXED ON SAID BUSHING FORCAUSING ROTATION THEREOF, A FIRST GEAR CARRIED BY AN OVERRUNNING CLUTCHMEANS ON SAID BUSHING FOR CAUSING ROTATION THEREOF IN ONLY ONEDIRECTION, A SECOND PULLEY MOUNTED ON SAID STUD SHAFT FOR ROTATION, ATLEAST ONE SET OF SECOND AND THIRD GEARS COAXIALLY MOUNTED IN PLANETARYFASHION ON SAID SECOND PULLEY WITH SAID SECOND GEAR ENGAGING SAID FIRGEAR AND SAID SECOND AND THIRD GEARS BEING SECURED FOR ROTATIONTOGETHER, A FOURTH GEAR FIXED ON SAID STUD SHAFT AND ENGAGING SAID THIRDGEAR, AND A THIRD PULLEY MOUNTED ON SAID STUD SHAFT IN IDLING RELATIONTO SAID DRIVING ELEMENT.